Electro-mechanical escapement



(No Model.) VAN HOEVENBERGH- ELEGTRO MECHANICAL ESOAPEME-NT.

No. 293,925. Patented Feb. 19.- 1884.

WITNESSES I MEN-TOR I By his Attorneys 7H6)? Ymfloezrmeyk EEEEEEE s Plwlo-Lilhogn luen Washington D c,

UNITED; STATES PATENT QFFTCE.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH, OF ELIZABETH, NEWV JERSEY.

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,925, dated February 19, 1884. Application filed April 30, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY VAN HoEvEN- BERGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electro- Mechanical Escapements for Printing-Telegraphs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of the immediate devices for controlling the positions of the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument during the operation of transmission. y

The object of the invention is to render the action of such devices more rapid, and thus to impart greater speed to the type-wheel.

The invention consists in constructing the escapement device of a telegraphic-printinginstrument, with an armature and an armature-lever impelled in one direction through the attractive influence exerted by an electromagnet included in the circuit of the transmitting device, and in the reverse direction through the influence of an electro-magnet included in the circuit of a local battery, the connections of which are momentarily automatically completed when the armature responds to the influence of the first named electro-magnet. v y

In the accompanying drawing I have shown so much of the mechanism and circuits of a printing-telegraph system as is essential to a complete understanding of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, E represents the main battery of a printing-telegraph system, and K a transmitting device, which may be of any suitable well-known construction. One pole of the battery E is connected by a conductor, 1, with the earth at G, and the remaining pole is connected through the trans mitting device K with the main line L, leading to the receiving-instrument at R. The main line Lis connected through the coils of an electro-magnet, M, in the receiving-instrument with the earth at G. The movements of the type-wheel T of the receiving-instrument are controlled by an anchor-escapement,

' B, engaging the teeth of a toothed wheel, A.

may normally be impelled in a given direction through the influence of any suit-able mechanical or electrical device acting upon the arbor a; or it may depend for its advancement upon the movements of the device 13. In u the latter instance the wheel A should be constructed in the form of a star-wheel, and the pallets b of the anchor B would act as pawls for propelling the same step by step in a manner well understood. The anchor-escapement B is carried upon a lever, C, supported upon an arbor, 0.

Upon the arm 0 of the lever 0, remote from the anchor B, is mounted the armature N of the electromagnet M. Asecond electro-magnet, m, is applied to the armature N. This electro-magnet, when vitalized, exerts upon the armature N, and thus upon the lever O, a force opposed to that exerted by the electromagnet M. The coils of the electro-magnet m are included in the circuit 1 2 of a local battery, c. A circuit-closing device, D, interposed in this circuit, is arranged to complete the connections of the battery through the coils of the electro-magnet only at the time when the armature N is attracted into proximity to the poles of the electro-magnet N.

The device D consists of a longitudinallyniovable rod, d, carrying near one extremity an insulated contact point or surface, d. The

extremity f of a contact-spring, F, connected with the conductor 1, leading from one pole of the battery 0, normally rests upon the point d, and thus out of electrical connection with the rod 01. The rod dis itself electrically connected through the conductor 2 with the remaining pole of the battery 6. When, therefore, the rod (1 is in the position represented in the drawing, the circuit of the battery 6 will be interrupted and the electro-magnet m will not be vitalized. Two stops, (2 and (1 are carried upon the rod d, and extend upon either side of the extremity of the arm a of the lever G. hen the lever C is actuated in one direction through the influence of the attraction exerted by the electro-magnet M upon the armature N, the arm 0 will engage the stop (I and move the 'rod d toward the left-hand a sufficient distance to carry the insulated point d beyond the extremity of the spring F. The

contact of the spring F with the conducting surface of the rod cl will thereupon complete the connections of the battery e, and the elec tro-magnet on will be vitalized and tend to draw the armature N toward itself, serving thus in lieu of a retractile spring. The force exerted by the electro-magnet m is preferably not sufficient to efiect the movement of the armature N and lever C until the current vitalizing the electro-magnet M is interrupted or lessened. Immediately upon an interruption of this current or a suificient diminution in its strength the armature N will respond to the attraction of the electro-niagnet m. Ihe rod (Z will thereupon be moved, by the arm 0 impinging upon the stop (1 to its former position, thereby interrupting the circuit through the coils of the electro-magnet m. The electro-magnet it serves thus in lieu of a retractile spring and combines with the successive vitalizations of the electroanagnet M to vibrate the lever G and escapement D in whatever manner is necessary for controlling the positions of the type-wheel.

It is evident that the parts may be so con- Structed that the circuit of the local battery 6 shall be completed or interrupted at any de sired point in the excursion of the armaturelever.

I am aware that it is not new to complete a circuit through a retractinganagnet by the contact of an armaturelever with its limitingstop; but the retractingiorce in such an organization is removed at the first movement of the armature-lever in response to the retractinganagnet by reason of the necessary i11- terruption of the circuit therethrough,where as in my construction that force may be con tinued through as great a proportion of the movement of the lever as desired, thus i11suring a complete retraction of the armature.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a main battery and a transmitting device, of the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument, an escapementwheel, a lever forcontrolling the movements of said escapementwheel, an electro-magnet included in the circuit of said main battery for actuating said lever in one direction, an elec tro-magnet included in a local circuit for actuating said lever in the opposite direction, and means, substantially such as described, for automatically completing the connections of said local circuit when said lever is actuated in response to the first-named electro-magnet.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the escapement ofa printing-telegraph, an armature and armature-1e ver for actuating said escapement, an electromagnet vitalized by currents from a distant station for actuating said armature and arma ture-lever in one direction, and an electromagnet included in a local circuit for actuating said armature and armature-leverin the reverse direction.

3. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of a main battery, an armatu re and armature-lever, an electro-magnet included in the circuit of said battery and act ing, when vitalized, to impel said lever in a given direction, a local battery, asecond electro-magnet includedin the circuit of said local battery and tending, when vitalized, to impel said lever in the opposite direction, a stationary contactpoint in electrical connection with onepole of said local battery, and a movable point electrically connected with the remaining pole of said local battery, said contactpoints serving to complete the circuit of said local battery in the course of the passage of said armature-lever from one limit of its excursion to the other, and to interrupt said circuit during the course of movement of said lever in theopposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my uame this 25th day of April, A. D. 1883.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH.

\Vitnesses:

DANIEL XV. EDGEGOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

